Two children fell out of a children's amusement ride at the Maryland State Fair in Timonium yesterday afternoon when the car they were riding in flipped over while in the air.

State inspectors said the ride malfunctioned after a pin that held the bumblebee-shaped car to a mechanical arm either fell out or was pulled out of place.

Baltimore County police said Dustin Cooksey, 3, of Beltsville and Richard Bosley, 4, of Jarrettsville Pike in Baltimore County were released after hospital treatment for facial injuries.

The ride, called the Bumblebee, has cars that are hoisted into the air by mechanical arms.

"The bumblebees were up high off the ground, and we just finished waving to the kids. And the next thing I knew that bee flipped over like a pancake and these two kids just came headfirst falling to the ground," said Liz Green of Arbutus, whose two children were on the ride. "The mothers and parents were just screaming, 'Stop the ride.' "

The ride was closed for several hours after the accident. Scott MacNeill of Deggeller Attractions, which operates the fair's rides, said all rides are inspected daily and that an examination yesterday showed no problems with the Bumblebee. Officials said Deggeller planned to install double-sided pins to prevent them from being accidentally dislodged.